The Wilkinson Family Name
by Kiss-This2010
Summary: Cynthia and Clint Wilkinson want revenge for Mitch's death. Ben Gates and his family are prime targets for this desperate wife and son. They try to bring the same pain they are feeling to the Gates. Ben/Abby Riley/OC Patrick/Emily
1. Chapter 1

A redheaded woman sat rocking on her front porch in South Carolina. It was near midnight on a starless night. Everyone else on her street had retired to their beds, not thinking about the two police officers that had come to her door this evening. The neighbors hardly notice; they had their own lives to worry about. The news they brought her, however, was the reason Cynthia Wilkinson could not sleep.

A dark sedan pulled into the driveway. She stood up from her rocking chair, and began down the front steps as a young man in his twenties stepped out. He was dressed in a smart suit, she in a nightgown. Within two strides he met her, wrapping her into a strong embrace. The woman's eyes began to wet with tears.

"Mom, what happened? I took the first flight out of Baltimore." The woman sobbed into her son's shoulders.

"Your father…is…he's…oh…"

"Mom? What happened to Dad?" A serious look came over the young man.

"He's dead. That stupid treasure…" The woman wailed on as Clint Wilkinson felt his heart drop. He helped her inside the house, gently pressing for more information. "Well…you know how he was trying to make a name for the family…that stupid treasure hunt that his great-great-grandfather or whomever tried to find…"

"Yea…Dad had worked hard to find it," said Clint bitterly. His heart ached for his father, whom he half expected to walk through the door any minute now. His father had dedicated his entire life to history and an ancient treasure.

"The police came here…they told me he was trapped in some God-forsaken temple. They found his body this morning while they were excavating it…" Her voice shook as she went on. "The worst of it is that there were other people in the temple when he died. They left him to die…"

"Who was it?" asked Clint in a low voice, anger boiling up inside of him. His father had brought friends on this adventure with him. Had they left him to die?

"The treasure hunter- Ben Gates."

Cynthia stared into her son's eyes. Both of them seemed to be thinking the same thing. Mitch Wilkinson's death would not go unnoticed. Clint hardly slept that night. He tossed and turned, trying to imagine his father's last moments. All he had cared about was making a name for the family- making them proud.

Clint had always looked up to his father- in fact he was taking classes at the University of Maryland in Native American History. Mitch had always been more into the Civil War, but the lost empires of the Mayan and Aztecs were more Clint's style. He awoke early the next morning picking up the paper. The headline read:

_Lost City of Cibola Discovered _

The article went on about the City of Gold and its discoverers: Ben Gates, Riley Poole, Abigail Chase, Patrick Gates, Emily Appleton, and Mitch Wilkinson. A whole column had been dedicated to Thomas Gates and his heroic action in the Civil War, but this wasn't what caught Clint's eye. The last two names on the list of discoverers surprised him. He did not think his father would be included if he was left to die (not that they mentioned anywhere that he was dead). The other name, Dr. Appleton, was his Ancient Civilizations Professor.

"Mom. Check this out." He handed his grieving mother the paper.

"At least they included him," muttered Cynthia. "You don't see them showing up on our door apologizing for Mitch's death."

"She is one of my Professors."

"Who?" asked Cynthia, confused.

"Dr. Appleton. I have her class tomorrow morning." It was a class he was struggling in. The woman had more knowledge than anyone in the class put together, and she was a decent teacher, but her class was simply hard. Most people did not like her because of her hard attitude, but no one could deny they learned a lot in her class.

"How inconsiderate. Her own student's father. What the hell was she thinking?" raved Cynthia. "I don't want you going back to her class. I'll write to the school board. Maybe we can get her fired. See how she likes loosing the most important thing to her. No good, filthy, murdering-" During his mother's rambling, Clint continued to read.

"She's Ben Gates' mother," he said, stopping his mother mid-sentence. Her eyes got wide with ideas. "Mom, this is the perfect way to get to Gates."

"You're absolutely right. Let's see how she likes being left for dead."

"We're not killing anyone!"

"Of course not, dear. Let's just shake her up a bit. The Gates family won't know what hit them."

NATIONAL TREASURE

Dr. Emily Appleton walked into her classroom just as the students were settling down. From the eagerness in their eyes, she knew they had read the papers and were hoping to get in on the unearthing of Cibola. Emily thought for sure someone would bring up Cibola as soon as she entered the classroom. However, the room seemed uneasily quiet.

Finally, a young woman in the back raised a hand. She seemed to have been voted to bring up the new discovery. Not that Emily was surprised. Jacqueline Forks was not one to be timid or shy. Not that she played favorites, but if she did Jacqueline would be one of Emily's.

"Miss Forks?"

"How was your vacation?" asked Jacqueline casually. Emily smiled and addressed the class.

"It wasn't bad really. Besides being held against my will, getting trapped in a cavern, almost drowning, and discovering Cibola, I would say it was pretty normal." The room burst out with excitement and questions. It took her several minutes to calm down the shouting class. "One moment, let me explain some things before you start asking questions. I have spoken to the Dean and he has excused you from all classes for the next week. Tomorrow you will leave for Mount Rushmore."

"You are going to let us explore Cibola?"

"Yes. Let's consider this your final exam." After a quick overview of the myth of the City of Gold, Emily dismissed her class early so they could begin packing. Her students were ecstatic about Cibola and to be honest, so was she. She could still see the ancient writing and sculptures that covered the City in her mind.

"Emily?" A soft knock on her office door brought her out of her thoughts. Patrick Gates was standing in the doorway. She greeted him with a sly smile.

"I thought you were still in South Dakota."

"I had to pick up some clothes from the house and I thought I'd drop by." He shrugged. Emily could not help by roll her eyes. "Plus, Ben wanted to make sure you were going to be able to make dinner tomorrow night after you get in. Apparently Riley has found the best food in the state."

"Is that the only reason you came?" Emily asked curtly.

She turned away from him, stacking the already neat papers on her desk. Knowing she had just confused him, she waited for what he would do next. She wanted him to come up behind her and tell her he loved her. However, he would probably walk away, like he used to before the divorce.

There was complete silence before she heard his footsteps drawing nearer. Gently Patrick wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder. Emily could not help to smile as he squeezed her back to his chest. She cocked her head so she could see his laughing eyes.

"Naturally Ben's wishes for me to deliver that message are important. However, you are much more important than any dinner." He kissed her softly on the neck, making her squirm around to face him. Patrick captured her lips in a small kiss and Emily was lost in his arms.

**A/N:** This will not completely center around Emily and the Wilkinsons, but also Ben, Abigail, Riley, and Patrick. I always saw Mitch with a family somewhere and I think he would have raised his children well. Clint is not going to be an all around horrible person, but Cynthia is kind of a psycho. We'll be in Cibola next. And maybe an abandoned house or two. With guns. And a crazy revenge seeking wife. But I won't let on too much.

Also the title is likely to change. I just haven't decided to what yet, so if you have any suggestions, let me know!


	2. Chapter 2

Ben Gates snuck up behind a woman who was bent over a golden figurine. Abigail Chase screeched in surprise when he grabbed her around the waist. Giggling, she kissed him and turned back to her work. She was documenting the writing on the warrior. Though Abigail could not read it, she could still copy it down for later.

"Excited for dinner tonight?" Ben asked inconspicuously. Abigail's heart rose as she remembered why they decided to invite the entire family to dinner tonight. Her parents were flying in from New York for what they thought was going to be a short tour of Cibola. Patrick was staying with them in a cabin they had rented and Emily was coming back into town tonight with her college class. What they thought was a family dinner was much more than that. Ben and Abigail were going to announce their engagement.

Ben had asked her to marry him after he had moved back in with her. She had been uncertain at first, because of their split so many months earlier. However, Ben persisted and she gave into temptation. Abigail Chase undyingly loved Ben Gates.

"I can't wait! Finally I'll be able to wear the ring." Of course, when he proposed, Ben had a beautiful ring to give her.

It was not an ordinary engagement ring. Most of the Templar Treasure had been given to museums and historical chapters, but Ben had asked to keep a few things. One of them was a simple diamond ring he had found half buried in the dusty cave. Actually, he nearly stepped on it, but caught sight of the glinting gold. After a bit of studying, he found no initials or writing to explain where it had come from. He had a few of his colleagues from his treasure hunting escapades look into it. They suspected it belonged one of the few women who were Masons.

Abigail kissed his smiling lips gently. The golden warrior and the documents were soon forgotten. What was also forgotten was that they were not in a secluded place. Riley Poole had just entered their smaller cavern.

"Um. Excuse me?" He cleared his throat. "Ben, your mom is here."

"Great! Shall we?" Blushing, Abigail accepted the arm he was offering her. Riley rolled his eyes and led them out.

"Any intriguing college girls, Riley?" asked Abigail.

"There always is, Abby, there always is. They won't know what hit them." Ben and Abigail, doing their best not to burst out laughing as Riley strutted toward where Emily was assigning her class parts of the vast city. Emily hardly noticed him as he came up to her group.

"Did you have a nice flight, Emily?" Riley asked politely.

"Yes, thank you Riley," she said casually, surveying his closely as he searched the group. A small smile played on her lips. "Class, this is-"

"Riley Poole?" asked a dark haired girl in the front. "The author of the Templar Treasure?"

"Yes, yes I am." Riley flashed a smile.

"Well I guess since you can introduce yourselves, everyone can get to work. I do have a word of caution though if you are going to be exploring on your own. I have been informed that the south exits," she motioned behind her, "Are under construction. If you value your life, you'd stay away. There are uncontrollable cave-ins and I believe they are using small explosives over there too." The group dispersed, leaving Riley alone with the dark haired girl so interested in him.

"Jacqueline Forks." The girl offered her hand to him.

"Nice to meet you, Jacqueline. What a name…" Seeing the look on Jacqueline's face, he quickly recovered. "Not in a bad way…it's really pretty…beautiful actually. How did you learn to spell it in kindergarten?"

"At least I'm not a guy with a girl's name," she countered.

"Riley is not a girl's name!" retorted Riley, mentally slapping himself. Why was he so stupid when it came to women? She started to walk off to where she had been assigned to work. However, before she got out of hearing range, she turned.

"I went by Jacq for the first three years of my elementary schooling because Jacqueline was so long. All of my friends still call me that." With a wink, she turned the corner, leaving Riley with a smile. Ben walked up beside him.

"Who was that?"

"That is my future wife." Ben punched him teasingly in the arm. "Speaking of wives, have you popped the question yet?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe? Either you've asked her to marry you or not! What did she say no?" Riley laughed. This earned him another punch. "Hey, I'm just looking out for you- Don't want to end up like your parents, now do you?"

"They're getting along now…" Ben said defensively. However, when he searched the room and final found them together; they were clearly bickering about something. The sight made him give a small chuckle. Some things never change.

His mother stalked off toward the construction end of the cavern. She knew they were working with explosives over there, so he wondered why she was going that way.

"What is that kid think he's doing?" Riley asked. Sure enough, Emily was about to ring some students neck. The young man was walking into a cave that was clearly marked as a danger zone.

"Ahh, they aren't working right now- Mom will handle him. Kid? Riley, he's probably just as old as you. Not everyone was so smart they went through college in two years that usually took four." Riley rolled his eyes, but grinned none-the-less. He loved getting praised, but never asked for it. They began walking over to where Patrick and Abigail were talking with a few Professors from different colleges around the country.

A loud explosion rocked the room, sending the two flying through the air, along with everyone else within a ten yard radius of the dynamite. Rock and gold poured down on them in small pieces, larger chunks landing closer to the initial explosion. When the dust settled, Ben picked up his head and looked around. Riley was nursing a cut on the side of his face. Several workers were picking themselves off the floor, but everyone seemed fine.

Doing a quick check, Ben looked for his family. Riley was beside him, Abigail was still standing next to his father with a look of shock on her face. The only person missing…

"Mom!?" Ben stared at the place where they had seen her disappear; right where the explosives had erupted from. There was a deep crevasse where the small cave entrance once was. Ben felt his heart drop; anyone within several feet of the blast would have been killed instantly.

A/N: OoOoOo. Cliffie. You'll see more of the blast from Em's POV in the next chapter…maybe even her own view of her death. You never know. wink wink. Please tell me what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

As chaos ensued, Ben looked desperately into the cave, waiting for his mother to come out yelling, but she never did. His heart beat frantically as the realization sunk in. Ben never noticed Abigail approach him, only realizing she was there when she began brushing dirt off of his shirt.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Something was wrong- he had that look in his eyes.

"Mom…she just went back there…to get a student who wasn't paying attention…"

Abigail placed her hand over her mouth, following his gaze toward the explosion. Finally snapping to, Ben took off toward the hole. Skipping over the rubble, he searched for any signs of life; all he could see were rocks. Everything seemed so distance from him. A few feet away Abigail and Riley were talking to a work crew, but he could not grasp the conversation.

"Son?" Patrick arrived at his side. "Abby said…"

"I don't know Dad. I remember her walking over to tell off a student, but I wasn't paying that much attention." Ben put his hands on his head in frustration.

"Clint!" Two young women came running up. One of them was the girl Riley had been telling him about, the other was sobbing uncontrollably. "I told him…"

"Emma, stop crying…it wasn't your fault. He was being an idiot-" Jacqueline tried rest a hand on her friend's shoulder, but the girl pulled away, landing on her knees as she fell to the ground, shaking. Abigail was tearing up, Ben saw, but he tried not to think of his mother as dead.

"No, I should have been looking out for him. He's been through a lot lately- his father just died and he's been acting weird every since Professor Applegate told us we would be coming here."

"Who?" asked Riley, just arriving on the conversation. Even in the midst of this disaster, he could not help but stare at Jacqueline.

"Clint Wilkinson. He's been my best friend since freshman year in college and well..."

"Did you say Wilkinson?" Patrick asked, the fear rising in his voice. The woman named Emma nodded.

"He committed suicide..." muttered Jacqueline.

"And decided to take one of us with him," murmured Ben in a heavy voice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emily shook her head walking away from Patrick. Why couldn't he understand why she did not want to move in with him right away? After everything they had been through, surely he did not expect her to just jump on board the love train. Look where that had gotten her- divorced and single. She never noticed the look of hurt in his eyes when she walked away, because she had other things to worry about. Like the fact some student of hers was exploring the off limits part of Cibola.

"I thought I told you to stay out of here! Can you not read the sign that says 'Danger- Explosives'?" This was one of the few students she did not know by name. The young man did not speak out enough or excel in his academics to get noticed. He was normal looking- an average sort of person. Emily did not have time for average students who did not pay attention to directions.

"Sorry ma'am." There was an odd look in his eyes- an almost sad, desperate glare.

"What was your name again?" snapped Emily, checking the list she had made up for her class. The group was divided into groups of three, each studying a different area.

"His name is Wilkinson." A woman stepped out of the shadows. In her hand was the detonator to the dynamite along the wall. Staring hauntingly at the professor, the woman said, "I suggest we get a move on if you don't want to end up like my husband."

"Husband…" Emily stared in shock. True, she not had a civil conversation with Mitch Wilkinson, but she never pictured him as a family kind of guy. The woman before her was nothing short of mad. Her wavy red hair was strung wildly across her head; the worn jacket she had pulled over the decent attire appeared to be that of a man's.

"Speechless are you? And Clint told me you were quite the talker. By the way, I'm Cynthia," she smirked. "Come on now."

"Professor, this way." Clint motioned toward a back tunnel. Emily finally found her voice.

"I do not plan no being abducted again! I can see where your husband's death would be difficult for you, but continuing to follow his dire footsteps isn't the best idea."

"Mitch was a good man!" barked Cynthia, her eyes glaring. She slapped Emily across the face, sending her backward into Clint, who in turn proceeded to duct tape her mouth shut. She struggled to get away, but Clint's grip was stronger than she expected.

All three of them went through the tunnel to their left. It led to sunlight and water. They wasted no time plowing through the shallow lake. There was an old red truck sitting on a dirt path at the shoreline. Once they got there, Cynthia turned around and pressed the button still in her hand. A large blast came from the underground caves. Emily made a sound under the tape, her eyes widening in fear.

"We can't let them think that we kidnapped you. I can see the headlines now: Maryland University Professor and Student Killed in Accidental Explosion," she said with a wicked smile. Cynthia now took out a gun from the pocket of the coat she was wearing. "Get in the truck- we're going for a ride."

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews guys! Keep them coming! Also, please write some more Emily/Patrick stories! I love them and there aren't that many!! If you do, I promise to review!!


	4. Chapter 4

Riley found a quiet place to sit on one of the many treacherous climbs around Mount Rushmore. Of course this one had stairs so there was no real danger of falling. Right now Ben and Patrick were with the North Dakota Police Department and Abigail was with her parents who had flown in for what was supposed to be an engagement dinner. All Riley was doing was trying to stay out of the way; since he was always in the way, he decided being out here in the middle of nowhere was the best option.

Jacqueline leapt up the steps, taking them to at a time, to where Riley was sitting. He looked very pensive so she quietly asked permission to sit down next to him. Jacqueline settled down so that their knees were almost touching. After a few silent moments, she spoke.

"They are thinking of sending us all back to Maryland after we've been cleared as suspects." Another Professor had already flown over to oversee them.

"That must be highly disappointing; having just been told you would have gotten to work on Cibola," contended Riley.

"You have no idea," she sighed. "Give Ben my condolences. Professor Appleton was an extraordinary teacher. A bit of a hard-ass, but extraordinary none the less."

"Yea, she was pretty stubborn," agreed Riley, thinking back to when they discovered Cibola. Their awkward silence returned before Jacqueline hopped up.

"Well, I guess I outa be going. Will I see you at the funeral?"

"Of course," came his automated reply. Jacqueline lingered for a moment, as if she was waiting for him to say more. Her dark eyes questioned Riley with something he didn't understand.

"Well…bye." She walked down the steps slowly, in contrast to how she arrived. Riley kicked himself for his cowardice.

"Um…Jacq?"

"Yes?" She asked still walking away from him. With a little hesitation, Riley got up and rushed to catch up with her. Jacqueline paused, apparently studying a blooming flower.

"Iwaswonderingifyouwantedtogotodinnerwithme." Again, Riley cringed at his inability to talk to girls. She gave a soft giggle before meeting his gaze.

"Assuming you just asked me to dinner, then yes." She flipped back her long ponytail with a smirk. "Tonight?"

"Umm…." Riley's first thought was Ben and how he would be coping with the loss of his mother. She smiled softly at his hesitation; it was a different look from the smirk he had previously received and he liked this better.

"Of course, you'll want to be with Ben. So how about lunch right now. We don't have to call it a date-just lunch."

"Sounds great!" said Riley, relieved. Jacqueline slipped her arm through his and motioned for him to lead the way. "So…you say your friends call you Jacq?" This caused her to grin and roll her eyes. Riley smiled to himself, impressed with his turnout.

NATIONAL TREASURE NATIONAL TREASURE NATIONAL TREASURE

Patrick Gates stood on the balcony of his hotel room, gazing into the night sky. It was a beautiful night; the sky a hazy dark blue with just enough clarity to see the dimly lit stars. He could not think of any scene more perfect with the backdrop of Mount Rushmore. However, he would trade all of this just for one woman to be enjoying it with him. Emily was dead- his Emily. For nearly all of Ben's life they only bickered and when she left him, he did not go after her. But the years of loneliness have had their effect on the older man. He still loved her. And now she was gone.

Ben and Abigail had just announced their engagement to Riley, Abigail's parents, and himself earlier this evening. Patrick tried his best to be happy for the two of them, even in light of recent events. He could see the pain fade from his son's eyes when he looked at Abigail, but every once in a while he would find him lost in thought again.

The Police still had not recovered any bodies, but with all of the rubble and the extent of the blast, they weren't expecting to find much. Something within Patrick was screaming that she was still alive; waiting for him to find her, but his mind wouldn't believe it. Emily was dead, and so was any chance of love.

The old man watched as Riley Poole and an unknown girl walked hand in hand along the road below him. That boy had become a second son to him over the years, and it was nice to see him happy with this girl. Granted, they only met about seven hours ago, but most girls didn't give the poor boy the time of day. There was something special about this one.

He could hear them laughing and chattering back and forth as they enjoyed the night; it was good someone could. A small smile played on Patrick's lips he watched them playing around. The girl had just run head into another person, causing Riley to pull her back protectively. He was about to leave them in private when he heard the young woman let out a screech.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" That was unmistakably Riley. "Get out of here Jacq!"

She took off in a run towards the hotel with Riley hot on her heels. A red pick-up truck cut them off. The driver joined the other figure in wrestling them to the ground. Patrick whipped out his cell phone, quickly dialing 911. He rushed down the stairs, informing the emergency operator the situation. By the time he got down to the street they were long gone.

"Damn it." After learning that the police were on the way, he hurriedly pressed his speed dial to reach Ben. "Ben! Get down to the front of the hotel quickly! Riley's just been kidnapped." Shaking slightly, Patrick watched the perfect night sky light up with red and blue flashing lights as the police made their way to the scene of the crime.

**A/N:** PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR THE LONG WAIT! I'm so sorry about this. I got caught up in my NCIS story and really got some writers block when it came to my other stories. Apparently, I can't keep any promises to when my next update will be but you will see Emily, Riley, and Jacq in the next one!


	5. Chapter 5

Riley groaned as he awoke on a hard bed. He didn't open his eyes for there was excruciating pain in the front of his head. It all came flooding back to him as he tried to gain control of his senses. He and Jacqueline were taking a walk (rather romantic walk he would say) when a man low baseball cap approached them, immediately grabbing Jacqueline as they tried to make a run for it. Riley at thrown a punch at the guy as they tried to run off (he could feel the swelling in his knuckles now), but he was laid out by a lady with a shotgun. His semiconscious body had been dragged into the back of a truck before being hit over the head again.

"Riley? Riley, hun, wake up!" Moaning he opened his eyes to a darker room. The blurred figure sitting beside him slowly came into focus.

"Emily? Emily!" Riley stupidly jerked up in his excitement only to receive more dizzying pain to his head.

"Lay back down, son. You got hit pretty hard," soothed Emily, helping him gently lay back down. He took in the sight of her, ignoring the bruises on her arms and torn clothing.

"You're alive." She nodded, but didn't say anything. "That's fantastic. We have to tell Ben and Patrick!"

"That'll be a little hard to do." Jacqueline stood from the corner chair. Riley hadn't even noticed her until now. She looked better off than Emily in appearance.

"Jacq, you're ok!" She nodded shaking her hair over the large gash on her forehead. "Where are we?"

"I'm not sure, but we're probably still in South Dakota," reasoned Emily, taking a pitcher of water and pouring Riley a cup. "We didn't board a plane and they were with me until late last night when they left to go get you. I believe they were only gone for little over an hour."

"Maybe we're closer than we think. Someone could find us!" Riley slowly sat up and looked at the two women in front of him. He had to stay positive.

"I'm sure Ben hasn't slept since you two disappeared."

"They're looking for you too," comforted Jacqueline. Emily moved over a bit so her student could have a seat on the bed. Jacqueline helped herself to the water Emily had set back on the dresser.

"They better be," laughed Emily. However, she bent over clutching her stomach. Riley and Jacqueline exchanged a worried look as the older woman gasped in pain. She laid flat on her back between them, sideways on the small twin bed.

"Professor, are you alright?"

"I think she broke my ribs," wheezed Emily. "I'll be fine in a minute." Sure enough, the pain subsided in a couple of minutes.

"What did they do to you?" asked a worried Riley, helping her back into a sitting position.

"The woman, Cynthia, asked me how I would like to have some company here." She nodded her head to her fellow captives. "I told her to go to hell."

"I could see where that would make her angry, but enough to break a rib?"

"Well something cracked and I'm hoping it's only a rib." She winced again as she resituated her weight. "I'm not exactly young enough to just bounce back after a good beating."

Footsteps came from the hallway outside of the room, causing the three to fall silent. Clint Wilkinson came in with a tray of soup and bread. Jacqueline stood up in anger at the sight of her classmate and friend. He looked distracted at the sight of her, but tried his best to hide it.

"Clint? You're behind all of this?" she asked, shocked.

"I'm sorry Jacq," he muttered to the floor, "You weren't supposed to get mixed up in all of this. You did nothing wrong…But they did."

"Then let her go," argued Riley. His heart beat rapidly at the thought that he was the reason she was here. What a great way to start off a relationship. Clint glared at him.

"She can't leave now! None of you can."

"What good is this doing?" asked Riley. Clearly, they didn't want them dead or they would have killed them already.

"You all killed my father," he hissed. "You left him to die and us to suffer."

"Now, now, Clint, don't get too excited now." Cynthia sauntered into the room with her shotgun in hand. She was still wearing a huge, worn overcoat that must have been her husbands.

"But if you wanted to kill all of us, you've had plenty of opportunities to get rid of us all at the same time." Emily lifted her aching, tired, aged body off the bed. It was time to find out what this insane woman really wanted.

"You're right." Cynthia got in Emily's face. "I want your family to suffer, not just die. I want them to feel the pain they have caused. You see, what I know about your son is a bunch of cops isn't going to stop him for searching for his best friend and the possibility his mother is alive. He was willing to turn himself into the FBI for your life before."

"That was only because your good for nothing husband abducted me!" snapped Emily. "He was the one threatening lives! He deserved to die!"

"Don't you dare talk about me husband like that," roared Cynthia. The calm, collected woman who walked into the room just three minutes before was gone. "He was only doing what he had to do. And what would your son do for your life this time? Huh? Perhaps he'll give his own!"

"You bitch!" Riley pulled Emily back as she lunged towards Cynthia. At the same moment, the gun went off with a loud bang causing all three of them to hit take cover.

"Mom!" yelled Clint. He struggled with her for a moment before prying her hands away from the trigger. There was a nice sized hole in the wall of the cabin, in line with where Emily had been standing moments before. "Come on, Mom," he pulled her shaking body from the room.

"Are you ok?" asked Jacqueline in concern. Riley was still holding a very pale Emily. Both of them nodded slowly.

"She's insane," whispered Riley, still in shock. He couldn't figure out how no one managed to get shot.

"I'd say schizophrenia or perhaps bipolar disorder," said Emily. "I shouldn't have pushed her like that…I didn't realize…it just made me so-"

"Professor, its fine. No one got hurt." Jacqueline sat down on the edge of the bed. "A crazy woman is controlling whether we live or die," she shuddered. Riley took a seat next to her, taking her hand. Emily busied herself with the soup that was still sitting next to the pitcher of water on the dresser.

"Look, Jacq- I'm sorry I dragged you into this…"

"Well this definitely wasn't the way I pictured this date going, but I don't blame you Riley." She tried to give him a smile.

"But he just said that you would have never been taken-"

"And he's right, but there is nothing we can do about it. And we'll get through this." Riley squeezed her hand and sighed.

"It's a good thing someone in here is an optimist." Jacqueline laughed. Riley put his arm around her and pulled her closer. "So maybe you can help me out in that department."

"I'll do my best," she grinned, snuggling closer to him.

"Here you are." Emily brought over three bowls of soup. "If you think they are trying to poison us then don't eat it, but to be honest with you, I'm taking my chances with the poison than starve to death."

"Well, we are being optimistic about this now, so there is no poison in this soup." Riley licked his lips and brought the spoon up to his lips. "Ewwww. I hate broccoli!"

**A/N:** Ok, I was going to give you an estimate on how long this story was going to be, but now I'm not so sure. So expect at least four more chapters. But it could be three or five. I don't know. Next chapter Ben will be trying to find his family! Yea! Ben to the rescue! Leave me love!!


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